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(No Model.) 2 SheetsaSheet 1.

D. F. TURNER.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING GYMNASTIG THEATRIOAL PERFORMANCES.

No. 247,135. t Patented Sept. 13,1881.

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2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

7 D.F. TURNER METHOD 'OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING 'GYMNASTIO THEATRIOAL v PERFORMANCES. No. 247,135.

Patented Sept. 13, 1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAWsoN F. TURNER, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO EMILY TURNER, OF sAME PLAoE.

v METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING GYMNASTIC THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 247,135, dated September 13, 1881.

Application filed May 9, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAWSON F. TURNER, a a subject of Great Britain, at present residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, in the United States of America,

have invented certain novel and useful Improvements in Methods of and Means for Producin g Gymnastic Theatrical Performances, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact [0 description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention or improvements have relation to that class of devices or apparatus employed in theaters or elsewhere for the purpose of elevating one or more of the actors from off the stage; and the purpose or object of my invention is to simplify and improve the apparatus, whereby the actor or dancer may be quickly,

2o easily, and gracefully elevated at the proper instant, loweredin alike manner, and swung or diverted from over one point of the stage to any other desired point, by reason of which a veritable flying dance may be produced; and

to accomplish all of this the invention involves certain novel and useful arrangements or combinations of parts and methods of producing the desired movements, all of which will be herein first fully described, and then pointed 0 out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a verticalsection of a theater-stage, the mechanical means employed for elevating the dancer being shown 5 in elevation. Fig.2 is asimilar view,in which the location of the operating mechanism or drums, shaft, and pulleys are indicated in perspective, various positions of the actor being indicated by dotted lines.

In both these figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

Heretofore and before my invention certain apparatus had been designed for elevating an 4 5 actor or dancer from off the stage. This apparatus required that the actor proceed to a certain point in the scene, there to be elevated and lowered, and this performance was always the same, admitting of no variation from the monotonous vertical fiight,and difficult to time stage at any instant of the play, and if desired can be lowered to any other point of the stage and generally assisted in the various parts or .figures of the dance by graceful and timely elevations and movements in the air without appearing to be encumbered by any mechanical 6o appliance.

In the drawings, A is a shaft of any suitable length, located above the stage or scene, and of course out of sight of the audience. This shaft is made to revolve rapidly and at the desired times by any suitable drum, B,connected therewith and op'er-.1ted-a for instance, through the medium of acord,O,passingdown to a convenient station where the operatorcan view the perfornmnce on the stage. The cord O being wound around the drum B, it is plain that when the cord is pulled the drum B and its connected shaft A must turn with it. The actor beingelevated bythe turningofthis shaft, when he descends his weightwill cause the shaft to turuin theopposite direction, winding upthe cord O on drum B, and thus preparing for another elevation. The apparatus is thus conveniently arranged to be worked by handpower; but of course any other power may be substituted, if desired.

Any number of elevating-drums, as I) E F, may be mounted upon the shaft A, and these are provided with the usual or any approved form of clutch by which they may be connected with the shaft so as to be made to revolve with it.

Clutch-levers are indicated at a a, by use of which the drums may becoupled with the shaft or uncoupled in a manner well understood by mechanics. If the shaft be turning, it will be only necessary to shift the clutch-lever of any instance, from the position atg on the stage to h. Then by turning drum D he may be swung by wire d from h to t, and then lowered to a point, 70, or otherwise deflected by suitable turnings of drums E and F, one or both. Instead of being elevated vertically, by properly regulating the movements of any one, two, or more of the drums, he may be made to take any upwardly-inclined direction or any intermediate course; and, following out these methods, it is clear that any desired direction (ascending or descending) may be given the performer, and various movements and combinations ofniovements beyond explanation may be produced, thus enabling one to execute figures of the dance as if entirely unafi'ected by gravity. Theinventiou also contemplates that the apparatus may be so arranged as to enable theactor to execute a flightfroni the stage to somepoint over the auditorium and back again.

Thesiinple vertical ascent heretofore proposed is hardly suggestive of a flying-dance, and the means of carrying it out are readily comprehended by the audience, thus depriving the spectacle ofanyinterest. The variations which I am enabled to produce heighten the spectacular effect and make the dancer appear as if under some magical influence.

To make the ascensions easy and graceful, without sudden jerking, it is desirable to interpose a spring, as at- H, in the operating-cord, by means of which a sudden jerking will be avoided and the cord maintained always ready to revolve the drums. Substantially the same effect may be produced by use of a weight at any convenient point of the cord, as shown at I. The wires attached to the dancer will operate to better advantage if kepttaut at all times, so that the instant the drums are turned the actor will be compelled to move. This may be accomplished by the director who has charge of the drums, keeping them always turned so as to take up the slack in the wires as the actor moves about on the stage; or any convenient form of weight or spring may be applied to the drums or wires for automatically accomplishing the desired work.

The apparatus is simple and complete, easy to be worked or managed, and not liable to get out of order. The effects produced by its use are agreeable and sightly, and they. contribute largely to the effects of the general scene, enabling me to produce the desired flying-dance in accordance with the before-stated object of my invention.

When the apparatus is to be operated by hand-power the drum B should be somewhat smaller in diameter (as shown) than the elevating-drums, so that as the operating-cord is pulled though a short distance the elevatingwires will move a greater distance. A more rapid elevation of the actor can thus be obtained. Other arra-n gemen ts for the same purpose may be employedas, for instance, by suitable gearing or a system of multiplying-pulleys.

When only a single elevating-wire is employed the danceris simply elevated and swung after the manner of a pendulumas, for instance, from the dotted position to the fullline position, Fig. 1.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus for producing a flyingdance, as herein set forth, the combination, with an elevating-drum carrying the elevating-wire, ot'a drum or pulley made smaller in diameter than the said elevating-drum, and connected therewith for the purpose of producingincreased motion therein, substantially as shown and described.

2. Thecombination, with the revolvingshaft, of the drum B, made smaller in diameter than the elevating-drums D E F, for the purpose of causing increased motion, substantially as explained.

3. The combination of shaft A, drum B, drums D E F, operating-cord 0, weight I, or spring H, elevating-wires d e f, andthe defiectingpulleys arranged to produce a varied flight from one point to another, all substantially as shown and described.

4. Thehercin-describedmethod of producing a flyiug-dance-tl1at is to say, by elevating the dancer by one drum from over one pointof the stage, transferring him while elevated by means of one or more other drums to another point over the stage, and lowering him, in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the elevating-drum, adapted to be actuated by hand or other power, of a fine wire coiledaround said drum and attached to the actor or dancer, the arrangement being substantially as explained, so as to cause increased motion in the said drum, and so as to lift and lower the actor at the proper points of the play, for the purposes and objects named.

DAWSON FYERS TURNER.

Witnesses:

B. MCKENNA, R. J. KOEHLER. 

